WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)

3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data – NASA Science

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3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data – NASA Science

Black holes are invisible to us unless they interact with something else. Some continuously eat gas and dust, and appear to glow brightly over time as matter falls in. But other black holes secretly lie in wait for years until a star comes close enough to snack on. A new study using space and ground-based … Read more

Witch Nebula Casts Starry Spell – NASA

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Witch Nebula Casts Starry Spell – NASA

This 2013 image taken by NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captures a nebula that looks like a witch screaming. Perhaps that imagined scream is a creation spell, for the Witch Hat nebula’s billowy clouds are a star nursery. We can see these clouds thanks to massive stars lighting them up; dust in the … Read more

NASA Mission Concludes After Years of Successful Asteroid Detections – NASA

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NASA Mission Concludes After Years of Successful Asteroid Detections – NASA

Engineers on NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission commanded the spacecraft to turn its transmitter off for the last time Thursday. This concludes more than 10 years of its planetary defense mission to search for asteroids and comets, including those that could pose a threat to Earth. The final command was sent … Read more

NASA’s NEOWISE Infrared Heritage Will Live On – NASA

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NASA’s NEOWISE Infrared Heritage Will Live On – NASA

NASA’s near-Earth-object-hunting mission NEOWISE is nearing its conclusion. But its work will carry on with NASA’s next-generation infrared mission: NEO Surveyor. After more than 14 successful years in space, NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission will end on July 31. But while the mission draws to a close, another is taking shape, … Read more

Meet the Infrared Telescopes That Paved the Way for NASA’s Webb – NASA

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Meet the Infrared Telescopes That Paved the Way for NASA’s Webb – NASA

The Webb telescope has opened a new window onto the universe, but it builds on missions going back 40 years, including Spitzer and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. On Dec. 25, NASA will celebrate the two-year launch anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope – the largest and most powerful space observatory in history. The clarity … Read more

NASA’s NEOWISE Celebrates 10 Years, Plans End of Mission – NASA

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NASA’s NEOWISE Celebrates 10 Years, Plans End of Mission – NASA

The asteroid and comet-hunting infrared space telescope has gathered an impressive haul of observations, but it’s now at the mercy of the Sun, which is accelerating its demise. NASA’s NEOWISE has had a busy decade. Since its reactivated mission began on Dec. 13, 2013, the space telescope has discovered a once-in-a-lifetime comet, observed more than … Read more

Data From NASA’s WISE Used to Preview Lucy Mission’s Asteroid Dinkinesh – NASA

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Data From NASA’s WISE Used to Preview Lucy Mission’s Asteroid Dinkinesh – NASA

Researchers have utilized infrared survey data to refine the asteroid’s size and surface brightness in support of the Nov. 1 encounter by NASA’s Lucy mission. NASA’s Lucy mission will soon have its first asteroid encounter as the spacecraft travels through deep space en route to Jupiter’s orbit. But before the spacecraft passes 265 miles (425 … Read more